Light in ute tray

[bboystyles]

hi all

i have juts recently attached a hard cover to my ute tray and was wondering if anyone knows how to attach sum kind of light or installl a light sumwhere in the tray that when i opened it comes on just like a car door light.

any help appreciated

[kopper69]

So you are happy to install a light, youre just wanting to know how to make it switch on when the boot is opened? Is that right?

Easiest option that I can think of would be to go to the wreckers and grab a switch out of the boot of a car. The switch is screwed to the cars chassis and so is already earthed, you just need to run the power from the lights to that switch. You will have to work out the best spot to put the switch so it comes on exactly when you want it too. But basically you find where you want the switch and screw it to the chassis.

Hope that helps, feel free to ask as many Q's as you need.

[accentstencil]

Another way would be to use a mercury switch. That is a switch that is off when it is level and on when tilted, the mercury makes the contact. I'm sure my old VN wagon had a mercury switch in the tailgate. May need some experimenting to find the right angle.
kopper69 suggestion would probably be easier but I'm just offering another.

[Cobra30]

I used a mercury tilt switch as described above, on the canopy light on my Crewman. It is strapped to the eye level brake light, out of the way. The picture below shows the rear window in the open or up position.
Here is a link to the Jaycar item that I used.

If you use a pin switch (door switch), it will require a mounting hole / bracket and will always be sticking up and something will get hooked on it and bend it or break it.

The mercury switch won't require any holes and can be held in place with a cable tie or a small blob of silastic.

Just cut the positve wire to the light and connect the two legs of the tilt switch to the two wires. Fit heatshrink or insulating sleeving over the joins.
The switch is glass, so, fit it where there is minimal chance of it being crunched.
If you run a new power feed for the light from the battery, make sure a fuse is fitted at the battery end of you power cable - not at the "light" end.

You mention wanting to install the light "in the tray". The light may be better attached to the under side of the lid so that the light will illuminate the entire tray area and not be blocked by whatever items may be in the tray.
There are some very good double sided tapes around that could be used to attach the light (it wouldn't be very heavy) and this would avoid the need for any holes.

[bboystyles]

how much do these mercury switch cost?

i did want it on the actual lid but i just thort bout if i needed to take the lid off....

[accentstencil]

how much do these mercury switch cost?

i did want it on the actual lid but i just thort bout if i needed to take the lid off....

I've never bought one but I should imagine that they would only be a few dollars at Jaycar.
Just use a connector so you can unplug it if you need to remove the lid.

[bboystyles]

aiite cheers guys ill hava look this weekend aye

[kopper69]

Neat work Cobra30 I think thats what I would be doing if I had a ute. bboystyles, Cobra30's post has a jaycar link with the item that he used, price is $2.05. Rated for 3A, so you have up to a 36watt light running. There is only a tiny bit of mercury in there, but if it was ever broken just remember that mercury isnt nice stuff, so be careful cleaning it.

[bboystyles]

aiite cheers man. will look into it